RALEIGH, N.C. – Headlined by nine home matches and including visits from Atlantic Coast Conference rivals Duke and North Carolina, the NC State women’s soccer team released its 2014 schedule on Tuesday.

Throughout the course of the 2014 regular season, the Wolfpack will play nine home matches and 10 road contests. NC State will begin the season with a home exhibition contest against Appalachian State (Aug. 13) and will officially kick off the year with home matches against UNC-Wilmington (Aug. 22) and Portland (Aug. 24).

“We went for a balanced nonconference schedule,” said head coach Tim Santoro. “We have some very tough nonconference opponents to try and maintain a strong RPI.”

Following the opening weekend of the season, State will take to the road for five of its next seven matches. The Pack will travel the East Coast to play at Georgetown (Aug. 29) and former ACC foe Maryland (Aug. 31) before beginning the month of September with a home date against Coastal Carolina (Sept. 4).

“Georgetown, Maryland, Portland, William & Mary, and Princeton are all high RPI teams which will give us a good balance with the usual high RPI teams we’ll get in conference play,” Santoro said.

State will transition to ACC play following road matches with William & Mary (Sept. 7) and UNC Greensboro (Sept. 14) in addition to a visit from Western Carolina (Sept. 11). The Pack’s first conference match of the season will be at Wake Forest on Sunday, Sept. 21. Last season, NC State ended its 2013 campaign on a very high note, defeating the No. 23 Demon Deacons in Raleigh on Senior Night.

The month of September will end with two big home matches for Santoro’s squad, as it will host Duke (Sept. 25) and North Carolina (Sept. 28). Pittsburgh will then come to Raleigh on Oct. 4 to end State’s longest home stand of the season.

“Any time you play Duke and Carolina, they are good matches,” Santoro added. “When you can get them at home and get your own fans and get people out there, it’s always a little more fun. We’re looking forward to having them at home, but the other three (home ACC matches) will be just as tough.

“The ACC schedule always gives you a bunch of great matches for fans to see.”

Three of State’s five October matches will be played away from home, as the Pack will visit new ACC member Louisville (Oct. 9), Virginia (Oct. 12), and Boston College (Oct. 19). The Wolfpack will then close the month with home contests against Miami (Oct. 23) and 2013 ACC Tournament champion Florida State (Oct. 26).

The month of November begins with the final two regular-season matches of the year, as the Pack will play at Clemson (Nov. 1) and then at nonconference foe Princeton (Nov. 4).

The 2014 ACC Tournament begins Nov. 7 with the NCAA Tournament kicking off on Nov. 14.